Impact of an Individualized Planning Approach on Personal Outcomes and Supports for Persons With Intellectual Disabilities

Enhancing special education programs' curricula for students with intellectual disabilities in saudi arabia: A call for personalized approaches and inclusive practices

BACKGROUND/AIMS

In Saudi Arabia, students with intellectual disabilities (ID) receive some of their education through textbooks. However, using textbooks with students with ID contradicts the principles of providing services based on individuals with ID needs personalized plans to develop their individual abilities. This study aimed to investigate family and teacher perceptions of middle and high school curricula for students with ID in Saudi Arabia. This study focused specifically on the extent to which these curricula contribute to the development of academic and life skills among these students.

METHOD AND PROCEDURE

A 21-item scale was used to measure the perceptions of family members and teachers of individuals with intellectual disability. The scale validity and reliability were examined and supported. The sample comprised of 113 family members and 111 teachers of students with ID.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Family members and teachers both expressed low satisfaction regarding the improvement in academic and life skills of students as a result of the current curricular in the surveyed programs. Additionally, they conveyed dissatisfaction with the overall outcomes of services provided for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

This study highlights the inadequacies of a one-size-fits-all approach to designing curricula for students with ID. There is a need to improve and enhance curriculum content to meet the diverse learning needs of these individuals.

How do Australian mental health services use easy read to make information accessible for people with intellectual disability?

INTRODUCTION

Access to health information is a right for all people. Easy read information is one strategy used to make information accessible for people with intellectual disability. This research explored how easy read is used and the ways accessible information can address access barriers, with a focus on Australian mental health services.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted across four sites to explore how easy read was used. Participants (n = 49) were easy read users, health practitioners and staff from services providing mental health care in New South Wales, Australia. An integrated health literacy framework was used to analyse data.

RESULTS

Most mental health staff did not use easy read or other accessible information, and did not consistently offer people with intellectual disability opportunities to understand, appraise and apply health information. This investigation confirmed the limited availability of accessible information resources, including easy read, and the importance of relationships of support when accessing health information.

CONCLUSION

People with intellectual disability did not routinely have access to mental health information. Substantial change is required to address this disparity.

IMPLICATIONS

Agency policy and processes require change to support staff practices that uphold the right to information. Inclusive practices that incorporate using easy read in health contexts, including mental health, are needed to facilitate change.

Comparing employment, employment services, and employment goals in propensity-matched samples of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with and without autism

Background

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) tend to have poor employment outcomes relative to the general population, as do people with autism. Research is unclear, however, about how people with IDD with and without autism compare on a variety of employment-related indicators, including desire to work, having work as a goal in their service plans, and being employed.

Objectives

To understand how people with IDD with and without autism compare on important employment related outcomes, based on a matched random sample.

Methods

Using merged administrative datasets, we used propensity score matching to construct statistically proximate samples of Medicaid waiver users in a single state with IDD both with and without autism, and then tested differences between the two groups on important employment-related indicators.

Results

People with IDD and autism were less likely than people with IDD alone to have a goal for employment in their individualized service plans and to hold employment in group community settings. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of desire to have a job or employment in individual community settings.

Conclusions

Results reinforce the importance of planning for employment if holding employment is a person's aim, regardless of the presence of autism.

Work performance and support needs analysis of students with intellectual disabilities

BACKGROUND: School-to-work transition planning for students with intellectual disabilities should include community-based early work experiences to prepare for possible future integrated employment. Employers have noted job performance levels and appropriate use of supports as important for maintaining employment. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess work performance and support needs of students with intellectual disabilities attending a short summer early work experience. METHOD: A small group of secondary-level school students with intellectual disabilities attended a summer-long vocational rehabilitation program where they worked with a job coach at a work setting. Student participants and their job coaches rated their perceptions of the students’ work performance quality and support needs on the Job Observation and Behavior Scale pre-post program. RESULTS: The groups deviated significantly in their pre-assessment and post-assessment ratings. Job coaches and students both reported significant increases in perception of quality of student performance. In addition, job coaches reported students needing significantly less employment supports by program end. Student participants also reported needing less employment supports by program end; however, results were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: When both student and job coach realistically view student work performance and supports needed, the school-to-work transition can be improved.